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Cardiff journalism student caught in conflict

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Journalism student Andrew Coombes found himself in the wrong place at the right time as fieldwork for a dissertation on the future of the Syrian-Lebanese relationship coincided with the eruption of violence.

Coombes has been in demand from UK broadcasters — appearing on Radio Four, Radio FiveLive, BBC One and BBC Wales — and he is writing a blog for the BBC. He is due to start a job at Al Jazeera in Doha in September.

The Cardiff journalism student flew to Beirut on Monday 11 July. On the Tuesday, he was in a Hezbollah stronghold in southern Beirut, just before the conflict erupted. Coombes said he was ill-equipped for war reporting and is currently awaiting evacuation.